noun
-
a policy or programme of censoring
-
the act or system of censoring
-
psychoanal the activity of the mind in regulating impulses, etc, from the unconscious so that they are modified before reaching the conscious mind
Other Word Forms
- anticensorship adjective
- precensorship noun
- procensorship adjective
- self-censorship noun
Etymology
Origin of censorship
Explanation
Censorship blocks something from being read, heard, or seen. If you've ever heard the sound of bleeping when someone is speaking on television, that's censorship. To "censor" is to review something and to choose to remove or hide parts of it that are considered unacceptable. Censorship is the name for the process or idea of keeping things like obscene word or graphic images from an audience. There is also such a thing as self-censorship, which is when you refrain from saying certain things — or possibly re-wording them — depending on who is listening.
Vocabulary lists containing censorship
List 5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
World War I
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The response from app designers could be swift and dramatic: Think universal TikTok-style censorship and aughts-era chronological scroll, experts said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
In the current climate of censorship and the strain imposed by war it is impossible to gauge how much popular support there is for regime change.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Kevin Hall, a leading nutrition scientist who carried out prominent research on the links between ultraprocessed foods and health, left his job at the National Institutes of Health last year, citing censorship concerns.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
Some of its obfuscation capabilities are limited in highly restrictive parts of the world, which may reduce its effectiveness in countries with extreme censorship.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
“As you may know, there’s a petition to get my song taken off Dat Cloud. Besides the fact it’s censorship, it’s stupid as hell.”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
